Pea Ridge man accused of sexually assaulting teen after giving her alcohol, church volunteer role detailed in affidavit

BENTONVILLE, Ark. A Pea Ridge man is charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl at his home in July after allegedly giving her an alcoholic drink, according to court records filed Monday in Benton County Circuit Court.

Jeremiah Cotton, 37, faces one count of second-degree sexual assault, a Class B felony, along with misdemeanor counts of knowingly furnishing alcohol to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The case was filed Sept. 28 under case number 04CR-26-1672.

Cotton was arrested Sept. 21 on a warrant issued that day and booked into the Benton County Detention Center. At a hearing Sept. 23, a circuit judge found probable cause for the charges and set bond at $50,000 cash or corporate surety. Prosecutors, through the sheriff’s office affidavit, had asked for $75,000.

The judge also signed a no-contact order barring Cotton from contacting the girl directly or through anyone else and requiring him to stay at least 1,500 feet away from her. The order also prohibits him from possessing firearms, ammunition, alcohol or illegal drugs while the case is pending.

What the affidavit alleges

According to a probable cause affidavit by Benton County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Ralph Bartley, the incident happened on the night of Saturday, July 18, into early Sunday morning at Cotton’s residence.

Family members told investigators they had attended a bonfire at Cotton’s property that evening. After Cotton’s fiancée left the property around 10:30 or 10:45 p.m., Cotton allegedly texted the girl and invited her to come over and watch a movie.

The girl told a forensic interviewer at a child advocacy center that Cotton poured her an alcoholic drink, described as a margarita-type pouch drink, and that she took one or two sips. She said he then insisted they watch the movie in his bedroom instead of the living room.

In the bedroom, the affidavit states, Cotton put his arm around her, touched her breast over her hoodie and put his hand inside the waistband of her jeans. The girl told the interviewer she froze, then said she needed to use the bathroom as an excuse to leave. When Cotton told her to use the bathroom in his room, she refused, went downstairs to her brother and he walked her home.

Calls after the incident

The affidavit states Cotton called the girl’s phone about three times afterward. The calls showed up as an unknown caller but matched his saved number. On one call, Cotton allegedly said “Hey, what’s up?” to the person who answered. On a later call, a family member confronted him about the allegation. According to the affidavit, Cotton denied it, said they had only watched a movie and claimed he was calling because the girl had left her boots at his house.

Family members later told investigators that when Cotton returned the boots in person, he again denied touching her but acknowledged it “probably wasn’t a good idea” to have her in his bed.

The family called the sheriff’s office non-emergency line, and deputies responded that night. The family told investigators they later relocated to a hotel and then stayed with relatives out of state because they did not feel safe returning home.

Church youth volunteer

The affidavit also details Cotton’s role at a local church, which is not named in the court records. A church official told Bartley that Cotton had attended the church for about a year and had served on the youth team for about six months as a volunteer, not as a youth pastor. The team’s duties included helping the youth pastor, running slides and lyrics, playing games with students, monitoring safety and checking students in.

The church official said Cotton passed a background check before joining the youth team and that no prior concerns had been reported. According to the affidavit, Cotton voluntarily stepped away from the youth team and the church after the incident, and the church separately decided he would not be allowed on the premises during the investigation.

Declined interview

Bartley wrote that he contacted Cotton by phone on July 21 and asked him to come in for an interview, and Cotton agreed. The next day, Bartley received a voicemail from Cotton’s attorney saying Cotton would not be coming in.

Court records show Cotton declined representation by the Benton County Public Defender’s Office, and the court did not appoint one.

Cotton is scheduled to appear Oct. 26 at 8 a.m. in Benton County Circuit Court Division 2.

The charges are allegations, and Cotton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.